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It may traditionally be a black tie affair, but the last time I checked, it wasn’t a crime to be underdressed for an occasion. Unless that formal occasion is the State of the Union Address and you happen to be wearing a t-shirt with an anti-war slogan.

According to Cindy Sheehan, she was hauled away from the event the minute she began taking off her coat, with a security officer labeling her a “protester” and charging her with a misdemeanor for such. The charge was later changed to “unlawful conduct,” and she was released several hours later with all charges dropped. According to initial reports, Ms. Sheehan was asked to cover up the shirt and refused. Ms. Sheehan states she was never asked, and was not in the room long enough to be asked.

But what is happening here, really? Since when is it illegal to wear a t-shirt to an event at the Capitol? I’ll grant that something a little classier might have been more traditionally appropriate, but Ms. Sheehan had spent the day at the CodePink “People’s State of the Union” (insert anti-war sentiments here) and states that she was offered a ticket to President Bush’s speech at that time. Perhaps she did not have additional clothing. Perhaps she did not intend to remove her coat. Perhaps it should not matter what she wore if she was simply attending the event.

While there are always at least two sides to every story, I’m inclined to believe the version presented by Cindy Sheehan based on my own personal experience with events involving President Bush. I was “privileged” enough to have President Bush be the featured graduation speaker at the 2002 spring commencement at The Ohio State University – the year I received my MSW there. Three and a half years ago, with a significantly higher popularity rating and less indictment drama, security officers arrested and removed a number of students from their own commencement by choosing to turn their backs on the President while he gave his commencement address. And all students, whether in attendence or not, were threatened before the event that anything seen as dissent would be seen as an embarrassment to the University and could be cause for expulsion and/or refusal to grant a diploma.

This Administration has been more afraid of dissent than any other that I can remember in my lifetime, and this is troublesome for me. So often we risk our young people’s lives to bring “freedoms” to far-off lands while we continue to erode our domestic freedoms. Wiretaps, blogwatches, infiltrations of meetings, arrests for t-shirts or turning 180 degrees… what next? What else needs to happen before we remember how to be angry?

Article about the arrest
Article about the dropped charges
Cindy Sheehan’s account of the events

jude Uncategorized

It was another sunny day in Massachusetts today, and another January day when I did not have to wear my coat outside. While I am enjoying the springlike temperatures (mostly 40s and 50s, though there were some 60s in the past few weeks), it just plain isn’t the way it used to be. Back when I was a kid (uphill! both ways!), winter in New England was cold. Freezing, even. With snow, and ice, and, you know, cold weather. Long underwear. Hot cocoa. Snow days.

NASA has named 2005 the warmest year on record. With no freak weather patterns like El Nino to blame it on, this is somewhat curious. What is more curious is a glance at the top five warmest years since the 1800s, when such records began to be kept: 2005, 1998 (thank you, El Nino), 2002, 2003, 2004.

Something fishy is going on, with scientists continuing to discuss the roles of fossil fuels and their resulting buildup of greenhouse gases on our increasing temps. As conspiracy theorists gain some buzz and credence with their talk of “peak oil,” and with the number of ridiculously oversized vehicles topping the market, is this even a topic up for debate anymore? We’re warming up, and we’re doing it fairly consistently. And while I enjoy balmier temperatures and a departure from frostbite, I’m not foolish enough to pretend it doesn’t exist. Or that it’s not significant. Or that we haven’t played a role in this.

The last four years were four of the five warmest years in history, yet there are some in power still claiming that global warming is a myth, that this is all a cosmic coincidence. I’ll think about that tomorrow when I once again leave my winter coat at home when I head off to work. In January. In Massachusetts.

jude Uncategorized

I have been incredibly lax about finding time to post here since the holidays and related activities essentially kicked my butt, but I was all set to post tonight and spit fire and brimstone about something-or-other. And then I decided to read some of the recent posts that I missed in my absence. I respect my colleagues and I like to read what they have to say.

I used to. And then I read that Publius has decided that “homosexuality should be re-criminalized.” And there’s the usual rhetoric that links same-sex relations with other marks against moral society – you know, little things like pedophilia and murder. And I am stunned and horrified.

Bible aside, how anyone can compare consensual sex between two (or more) parties with murder, or the rape of children, just… well, it leaves me speechless. Likewise how someone can opt to criminalize any consenting sexual behavior between adults just because one chooses not to participate in said activity himself.

It’s obvious that our moralities are different, he and I. My personal moral code has no qualms with the big forbiddens of Leviticus (I love shrimp! I love mixing fibers!) nor some of the “mega-perverts” Paul writes about in his Epistles. I have no difficulty claiming to be a good, just, moral person while hoping to score a little action from my wife. (And it’s not even premarital here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Drat!)

To think that I bust my ass every day to help children and families, to give support and information to families dealing with their children’s developmental delays and disabilities, to put in 50+ hour weeks for small paychecks because I believe it’s the right thing to do, but that I should be prosecuted because there is a king-sized bed in my house and two women (and three cats) sleep in it. I am appalled by the gall of someone who can state, with apparent conviction, that his sexual orientation is above reproach but others deserve criminalization. And I am disgusted – disgusted enough to consider withdrawing from this project far before desire prompts me to do so.

We recently had to make our toughest decision as a family, a decision made tougher by the laws of our country – laws that, according to a recent poster, should be tougher still. My wife was offered an amazing job opportunity with a considerable paycheck in a state that would remove our marriage benefits and also legally bar us from adopting children. To be in a situation where we had to decide which was more important – career dreams or family dreams – was as difficult as it was unfair, was as emotional as it was unjust.

Throw me in jail for having sex if you’re that convinced that I’m ruining America, Publius. Our recent dilemma has already reminded us that we’re trapped already.

jude Random Thought